Hello...I am staying in Madrid with my daughter and her 16 yr old friend. We have friends that are staying at AC Hotel Recoletos, 18 Madrid, Madrid 28001 Spain. What area of the city is this hotel in? If I am looking to rent an apartment what area should I narrow it down to so we could walk back and forth to our friend's hotel?..Thanks
It's a pretty central location...
Near the Retiro subway stop.
It's indeed almost at the heart of the city: http://www.turismomadrid.org/wp-content/uploads/mapa-codigos-postales-de-madrid.jpg
For further info on hoods: http://www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-neighbourhoods/
Also, for info to other readers: in Spain there are 50 provinces (plus 2 enclaves in North Africa). The first two digits of any zip code indicates the province and the rest the town (or district, in the bigger cities). The lower numbers (such in the case above) always correspond to the districts of its capital and the lower the number the closer to the old city. Thus, 28001 it's in the 'center' (downtown) of Madrid.
Note though that in bigger cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, etc, due to its irregular growth over the years, you might also find that say 28001 borders 28014 or it's also very close to 28028 which might seem odd at first glance.
Check out the site madridman.com for useful information on the city...and other cities in Spain as well...